


Beneath a SOLDIER's Gaze

by Reila_Flowers



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Adventure, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:35:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26012740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reila_Flowers/pseuds/Reila_Flowers
Summary: Cloud had dreamed of becoming a member of the elite military troops known as SOLDIER for many years. It was why he had joined Shinra's army with the intention to be promoted up the ranks and why he tried so hard to be perfect, for the chance to be chosen. His dream seemed rather distant, for even meeting a SOLDIER was a rare occurrence for a man of his rank. That was until he met Sephiroth on a routine mission and his life began to change.
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Comments: 6
Kudos: 87





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set prior to Final Fantasy VII. Whilst I have done my best to fit it within the canon of the game, I can't entirely remember events from the prequel games so mistakes may have been made. Please think of this story taking place in an alternative past. This story contains no major spoilers to the original game.
> 
> Warning: This story depicts an unhealthy relationship, including none consensual sex.

The gun in his hands was beginning to grow heavy, a distraction from the pain from his feet from standing in the train car for so long. When he had signed up for the army guarding a large crate hadn’t been what he had envisioned, but unlike the other three guards he had not complained. No, he had kept his back perfectly straight, his gun angled downwards at the floor but ready to use at any minute, his face in a perfectly neutral expression. Three times the man he knew off only as Flash, though that wasn’t his real name, had made jokes that his fellow guard may just be a robot but then travel sickness had hit Flash hard and all attempts of extended conversation from him came to a halt. The younger guard was sure that he wasn’t the only one who was relieved at this turn of events. Their captain, who stood towards the front of the carriage, closest to the door, was almost as serious as the young guard. Preferring silence to any attempts at idle chatter, though he had not put a stop to Flash’s antics. Captain Ross had tried to apply for the SOLDIER program twice and had been turned down both times. The thought made the young guard uneasy, for he and the captain shared the same dream it seemed. He’s already written home to his mother, a beautiful woman that shared her son’s blond hair and blue eyes but perhaps not his personality, to tell her that he was a solider working up the ranks and she had been impressed enough that her son had felt a stab of guilt for the slight deception. He’d led her to believe something that wasn’t quite true, Claudia Strife deserved better but by the time he saw her again he would surely be a SOLDIER. He focused on this goal as the train turned a corner sharply enough that Flash went paler than he had been before.

“This is ridiculous! Why does a whole troop need to guard this crate?” The fourth man in the train car, Frederick, the illegitimate child of a famous actor that did nothing to keep that fact secret, complained. A small growl within the crate made even the young soldier glance over.

“What?!” Flash exclaimed. “Whatever is in there, is alive?”

“Well that explained why there’s so many guards. I wonder what it is?” Frederick pondered as he approached the crate with the clear goal to peek inside.

“Don’t even think about it.” Captain Ross ordered. It was a moment too late as Frederick had already looked inside and whatever he had seen was making him back up as far as possible. He stood back in position without a single word, eyeing the crate from time to time with what was clearly distrust.

“What was it?” Flash said quietly a few minutes later. If he thought the two guards at the front of the train car couldn’t hear, he was wrong, but the Captain must have been curious to as he didn’t stop the conversation. The young guard had to admit it, even he who tried so hard to be perfect was curious. Despite himself, the young guard turned his gaze on to Frederick.

“Some kind of beast,” Frederick answered. “I don’t know what it is, it’s not like the monsters I’ve seen before. It’s kind of like a large cat or dog with red fur and long white teeth but it’s eyes… they looked at me as if they possessed intelligence. Not of a beast, but of a man.”

“Please Captain, can’t we look?” Flash begged but remembering their objectives, Ross ordered everyone to stand in position and not question the contents of the crate any longer. The growing boredom of the journey had them all wondering though, it was all the four guards could think about.

“I could get you VIP tickets to the next showing of Loveless?” Frederick suddenly suggested. “You could even meet my father, he plays the lead you know.”

“And why would you do that?” Ross asked.

“For a second look in the crate.” Frederick answered. Growing up being the son of a celebrity, even if he wasn’t officially recognised, must have given him privileges beyond what the young guard could even imagine, but with Ross the privilege of the other didn’t buy him any favours. It was obvious to them all that sooner or later, Frederick would be selected for SOLDIER testing and it made both the Captain and the young guard envious. For all the young guard knew, perhaps Flash to wanted his chance to be tested? He wouldn’t put it past him, most of the guards here saw their job as nothing but a stepping stone to SOLDIER. Only a few of them would make it. The young guard was determined that this would be him. That was why he had to be better than the other men here. He would not ask to look in the crate, he wouldn’t show he was interested, but how the curiosity burned inside him! A beast with red fur and intelligence of a man? It seemed impossible and he longed to see the beast with his own eyes.

“I have no interest in the theatre, only in accomplishing this mission without a blemish to any of our reputations,” The captain said. “But if you ask one more time, there will be a blemish on your record. I promise you that.” He was looking for a reason to put a bad mark on Frederick’s records, the young guard realised with a little unease. It seemed that perhaps Frederick’s former privileges were now working against him. Where as he, just a regular guy from a small town, was insignificant enough to escape the captain’s wrath. Would Ross get in his way of being a SOLDIER too? It was the first time he had thought such things, though there were a few other incidents in the past that made him think that perhaps his concern wasn’t entirely unwarranted.

The train suddenly screeched to a halt and the guards gave each other a surprised look before raising the sights of their weapons towards the door. They were in the middle of the countryside, far from any station and out of the window the only signs of life that could be seen was a few wild chocobos. The birds looked up as suddenly as the train had stopped and began to run away from whatever they had seen.

The gun fire started from further up the train, making the four men with the crate feel more than uneasy. Surely whoever was attacking the train wouldn’t reach them? There was a whole troop of guards on board of the train and a SOLDIER, though the young guard hadn’t seen the SOLDIER with his own eyes and it had only been a rumour that he was here.

“Stand your guard, we are the last line of defence!” Captain Ross ordered, as Frederick moved to break from his position. Nervously he followed orders, murmuring some kind of prayer as he stared intently at the only entrance, and exit, to the train car. From outside there was shouting and screaming and the constant firing of bullets.

“It’s ok, they’ll never get to us.” Flash said, more for himself than the other men in the train car. They all knew anything that could get through to them would destroy the four guards so fast that there would be no chance of survival.

The door to the train car broke off, revealing a young man in black, with a bandana around his forehead and the Sigel of Wutai, Leviathan, across his Kevlar vest. They opened fire but the bullets bounced off his protective spells as if they weren’t there. Guns did little against an experienced Materia user, which was perhaps why this man from Wutai carried a curved sword. A katana, the young guard recognised from a book he had read when he was young. Before Wutai had become the enemy and such books were banned. The stranger had cut down Captain Ross before any of them had chance to consider a second strategy and the sword had stabbed in just above the young guard’s heart a moment later. The guard fell, landing in a pool of his own blood as a female from Wutai joined the man. He heard Frederick begging, offering theatre tickets off all things, but it didn’t help him. From the silence that followed, it seemed that both he and Flash had been disposed off just as quickly as their companions.

It hurt, the pain in his chest making him forget all off the discomfort from before. He was going to die here. Would his mother be proud he had died in the line of duty, or ashamed that he had deceived her into believing that he was already a SOLDIER? A SOLIDER wouldn’t fall this easily. At very least, they would have Materia on them. Healing Materia should be standard, the young guard was thinking as the angel appeared in the doorway. With healing Materia, perhaps he could survive. He had none. Now this silver haired angel was coming to take him away.

The angel carried a long-curved blade, the young guard noticed as the life left him. A katakana? Or did this blade go by a different name? He’d never seen such a sword before, didn’t know what to call it. Not that it mattered now. The angel cut down the two Wutai agents with ease, before looking around the train car without emotion. As life slipped from him, he watched as the blood dripped slowly from the sword. One drop, two, three… on the fourth the angel approached him, a glowing orb of green Materia in his hand. There was light and warmth and a moment later the young guard found himself able to sit up and take in the carnage of the train carriage.

“They were well trained,” The angel before him commented. “It seemed you were the only one who’s heart they missed.”

“You’re the SOLDIER,” The young guard realised, though it was easy to see why he had mistaken the other as an angel. His face was beautiful and refined, his hair long and silver that glowed where the sun hit it, and he carried himself with a confidence that seemed otherworldly. It was his eyes, green with a slightly lighter green colouring from the Mako inside them, that had made the young guard see his mistake. “You saved me.”

“I did,” The SOLDIER said, seemingly amused by this. “Let me see your face.”

“Why?” The young guard asked, as he pulled off the helmet so that the SOLDIER could see him fully.

“Because you are the only survivor, other than myself,” The SOLDIER explained. Wait? Did this man who had saved him believe that he may have been working with those from Wutai. “Well you don’t look like you come from Wutai. I certainly haven’t seen anyone from Wutai with golden hair at very least. It seems then, that perhaps you were just lucky. Your name?”

“It’s Cloud Strife,” He answered. “Sir.” He added quickly. He’d almost forgotten that this SOLIDER was several ranks above him, perhaps more depending on what Class he was.

“Call me Sephiroth,” The SOLDIER ordered. “For I do mean to take the liberty to call you Cloud.”

He was on edge from his brush with death and he couldn’t hide how startled he was when Sephiroth returned to the train car. The SOLDIER had gone outside for a better signal to report what had happened to Shinra and it should have been obvious that he was the one returning.

“What’s in there anyway?” Sephiroth asked, expecting Cloud to know the answer.

“Don’t know, I didn’t look.” Cloud responded. 

“Really?” Sephiroth asked, amused by the answer. “You didn’t look? You’re telling me you have no idea what it is that we are guarding, despite being in here alone?”

“I didn’t look,” Cloud repeated. “But he did. He described a beast, with red fur and believes it to be intelligent.”

“Is that so?” Sephiroth asked, glancing at the fallen guard for a moment. “He has better sense, I would think. Why guard a box without knowing his contents? Are you always the type to follow orders?”

“I aim to be the best.” Cloud answered, his eyes widening as Sephiroth’s sword connected with the wooden crate, revealing a metal cage inside.

“So you can become a SOLDIER, I’d assume. It’s what you all want.” Sephiroth said, dismissing Cloud’s dream as irrelevant. The guard was annoyed but didn’t show it and turned his attention fully onto the beast in the cage. It glared at Sephiroth with a look very much akin to hate, its fangs bared as it snarled. “What are you, I wonder?” The silver haired man asked out loud. Of course the beast did not answer, though it did swish it’s fire tipped tail against the metal bars.

“It’s dangerous, whatever it is.” Cloud commented. The beast turned its gaze onto him, though he did not falter. He swore the beast smiled, before it sat on its haunches and watched Cloud with what would be considered a curious gaze, if it had belonged to a human. There was more to this beast to claws, fire and fangs.

“Then maybe you will be glad to know that another SOLDIER is on his way,” Sephiroth answered, very obviously unimpressed. “With guards of his own and hopefully somebody who knows how to drive this train. Professor Hojo will be put out by the delays, that alone makes me almost glad for this attack.”

“Many lives were lost here today.” Cloud reminded him.

“Which is why I am almost glad.” Sephiroth said. Silence fell between them, both men not the type to lead an unnecessary conversation it seemed. The SOLDIER took the liberty to sit down, his legs hanging out of the train door as he waited for the reinforcements to arrive. There were no seats in the cargo car, which meant that other than the floor itself Cloud would have no option but to stand. 

“How did you do it?” Cloud asked. “Become a SOLDIER I mean?”

“A Turk found me,” Sephiroth answered, his gaze not straying inside the train car. Was he guarding the train, or merely taking a break? He hardly seemed like the perfect SOLDIER that Cloud had envisioned. Given a reason to do so, he thought that Sephiroth could rebel against this whole mission entirely. He certainly hadn’t been impressed that Cloud was the type to follow the rules. “But the man who comes, he worked his way up through the ranks, as you mean to do. Do not give up Cloud, perhaps you are not like the rest? Those who fail to make their mark on the world.”

“You think that I can do it?” Cloud asked, but Sephiroth did not answer the question. They stayed in silence for a few minutes, waiting for something to happen.

“Is there anybody waiting for you, in the place you would consider home?” Sephiroth asked.

“My mother,” Cloud answered. “And perhaps a childhood friend.”

“Strange, for someone as pretty as you to only have the love of his mother to return to,” Sephiroth said. “Though that’s more than I have, back home.”

“I’m sorry.” Cloud said but Sephiroth didn’t answer him.

“You should have this,” Sephiroth said, after a few more minutes of silence. An orb of green Materia was thrown over, which Cloud caught without effort. Healing Materia, the same orb that had saved his life. “We wouldn’t want to destroy your mother, by bringing home your corpse. A mother is the most important thing in this world.”

“You’re not mocking me,” Cloud said, unable to hide his surprise. “The boys back home always did. They called me a mother’s boy, or mocked me for the way I looked or because I wasn’t quite like them. She was different though, my closest friend, she never mocked me at all.”

“Do you love her?” Sephiroth asked. “This friend back home?”

“No,” Cloud answered, rethinking his answer. “As a friend I do but she’s not my girlfriend, as you mean to imply.”

“Do you wish her to be?” Sephiroth asked. This time he did look at Cloud, as he waited on the answer.

“I think I prefer her as my friend, anything else would complicate things,” Cloud answered. The beast in the cage looked unimpressed by the answer, though Cloud was sure he must have imagined it. The beast couldn’t possibly be following their conversation. “Do you have a lover?”

“Would you be jealous if I did?” Sephiroth asked. “Don’t look surprised. I can tell that you are attracted to me. I’m not wrong.”

“I…” Cloud began to protest, but the backup from Shinra came just in time from saving him from having to answer Sephiroth’s accusation.

“Looks like you’re going to meet two SOLDIER’s in one day, don’t be making me jealous, he’s only Second Class.” Sephiroth warned.

“Which makes you First?” Cloud realised. Sephiroth was a higher rank than he had expected for this transport mission, just how valuable was the beast in the cage?

With much disagreement between the SOLDIER’s, it was finally decided that Sephiroth would stay with the beast and the new SOLDIER would be up front with the driver. Obediently Cloud moved to the driver’s car, surprised to see how unhappy Sephiroth was to lose his company. Perhaps the SOLDIER was beginning to like him, or maybe he had been mocking him like the boys had done when they had all been young? To accuse him of being attracted to another man! It was… well it must be obvious, Cloud realised uneasily. But didn’t everyone see the attractive qualities in others? It wasn’t like he would ignore the beauty of a woman in favour of a man. Women were almost always easier to get on with men. They didn’t tease him, not in the same ways, and he didn’t mind so much when a woman began to boss him around. They could do it without getting on his nerves, at very least.

“There’s no need to put that helmet back on,” The SOLDIER with him said, as Cloud moved to do just that. “I heard about your injury, just take the time to recover. We only need you if there is trouble.”

“Yes, Sir.” Cloud said, placing the helmet down on one side.

“Zack!” The SOLDIER exclaimed. “Use my name, Ok?”

“What is it with SOLDIER’s wanting me to use their first names?” Cloud wondered out loud. Zack was the polar opposite of Sephiroth, though admittedly just as handsome. When Sephiroth was sharp angles, with that stunning long silver hair, Zack’s hair was short black and spiky, his face rounder and a lot friendlier in his expression. With Zack it was obvious his intentions were only to be nice. Sephiroth had been a lot harder to read.

“I just don’t like it when people act like I’m superior, just because I’m a SOLDIER. It just means I’m good in a fight,” Zack explained with a casual shrug. “But I’m surprised Sephiroth made the same request. He can be distant. I suppose that’s how you’d describe it.”

“He is hard to read,” Cloud admitted. “He told me you worked your way up? That you weren’t scouted?”

“That’s right!” Zack said, now this he was proud off. “I wasn’t even going to take the test, but my girl told me I should. That it was my destiny to do so. She was so happy when I got promoted. We didn’t realise that would mean I’d have to spend so long out of Midgar. I miss her.”

“I miss my wife too.” The train driver confessed, though I don’t suppose I have to part with her as long as you have with yours.

“It’s not fun being parted, no matter how long.” Zack responded with real sympathy. Realising that this was going to be the topic of conversation for a while, Cloud pulled out the Materia he had been given and stared into the orb as if he could find all its secrets by doing so. He’d used Materia before, but he had never had any of his own. It could be expensive and he had never found a need to own any, or at least he hadn’t believed he had one. If he had this Materia before, would he have been able to take down the man from Wutai on his own? He could have saved Frederick and Flash. His lack of care had brought upon the deaths of both men, possibly the Captain as well.

“Is that Level three Materia?” Zack suddenly asked, breaking Cloud from his thoughts of how this green orb reminded him of the stunning eyes of the man who had given it to him.

“Level three?” Cloud repeated. He hadn’t even realised how powerful this orb was. “It was given to me as a gift, I didn’t realise it was so well used.”

“You can tell by how bright it is, how solid it looks inside,” Zack explained. “That’s some gift you have been given. Either whoever gave it to you is very wealthy, or they had used it a lot.”

“I suspect it may be both.” Cloud answered. SOLDIER’s made good money, especially if they were First Class.

“Is that so?” Zack asked, forgetting all questions as he caught sight of a helicopter approaching from the distance. His grip tightened on the large sword he carried on his back, a blade almost as wide and tall as he was, but he soon relaxed. “Just Shinra’s Turks, looks like we’re almost home.”

“About five minutes.” The driver confirmed. They’d only been travelling for twenty minutes of so, had the Wutai agents really attacked so close to Midgar? The idea of the enemy being so close made Cloud uneasy but he pushed the thoughts aside. What good was it to be nervous now? The attack had happened and there was no reversing it. What could be helped by looking back?

The fields around them were replaced by buildings as they entered through the lower slums, the sky now a metal plate of steel. Cloud hated Midgar as it was an afront to nature, so different to the town where he had grown up, but both the train driver and Zack seemed happy to be back inside the steel walls. The train reached the spiral train line in the centre of the city and began to rise up towards the upper plate, where the sky could be seen once more and the sights of the slums were no more. This was the plate where he belonged, Cloud thought, as he took in the middle-classed housing that gave way to the business district. He was a Shinra employee, worthy of being given a home up here where he could see the sky. Only his home was an undecorated room in a military barracks, nothing special at all, except that it was on an upper plate.

It didn’t take much longer before the train pulled into a station and the cargo could be unloaded. The caged beast, no longer hidden in a wooden crate, caught more than a few curious gazes before somebody finally had the idea to cover the cage with a sheet of cloth. More boxes were removed, a variety of supplies that filled the train and didn’t necessarily require an armed guard. Or perhaps they did? Could the beast be a decoy? No, the Wutai agents had been looking for it. Why though? To rescue the creature, or use it for their own gain? You never did know what those tricksters from Wutai were planning.

He spotted Sephiroth on the other end of the platform, appearing bored as he followed the beast towards the truck that would take it to its final destination. He said something to one of the nearest guards, before jumping into the back with the cage and out of Cloud’s sight. He supposed that would be the last time he would see the SOLDIER and Zack too would soon be gone, off to find the girl he so clearly loved above all else.

“Strife, you’re wanted in the truck to transport the cargo,” The voice in his ear piece ordered. “Please report immediately for duty.” Confused Cloud headed down the platform, slipping his helmet back on as he neared his destination. He followed the ordes to get into the truck, finding just Sephiroth and the beast inside.

“Did you request me?” Cloud asked, as the truck doors shut behind him. Sephiroth was smiling, as if he was pleased to see him, though the way he smiled, or perhaps it was his features, made the smile look not entirely friendly.

“Of course, the guard who survived when all else failed,” Sephiroth answered. “Who better to join me on this mission?”

“I got lucky.” Cloud said, for Sephiroth’s words made it sound like he had done something special.

“We both did.” Sephiroth answered. How could that be? Sephiroth was a more than capable soldier, it hadn’t been luck that had helped him strike down the agents from Wutai. If he had been capable of being everywhere at once, not a single life would have been lost.

“How can that be? You’re a First-Class SOLDIER. You didn’t need luck.” Cloud protested.

“Not to defeat our enemies.” Sephiroth agreed. The truck jerked into motion and Cloud found himself needing to cling to a strap on the truck wall to remain standing. Soon he realised exactly how Flash had felt on the train, as travel sickness clung control over him. If only Materia could cure such illnesses, but he knew better than to even try. Thankfully the journey wasn’t long, and Sephiroth didn’t attempt to make conversation with him, and they were soon standing back as the cage was pulled off the truck and carted towards the lifts across the lobby of the Shinra headquarters.

“I guess we’re done with work for now?” Cloud guessed, as nobody came to look for them.

“I will make the report,” Sephiroth answered. “But Cloud, I would like if you joined me in this lobby this evening. That is, if you would like to see inside the SOLDIER lounge?”

“The SOLDIER lounge?” Cloud repeated. “But you need to be a SOLIDER to enter.”

“You will be my guest.” Sephiroth said, not waiting for an answer as he headed towards the lifts. Excited by the idea of spending more time with Sephiroth, and seeing inside the SOLDIER lounge, he hurried home to shower and get changed into something more casual. It was only later, when he was leaving to join Sephiroth once more, that he wondered what it was about him that had Sephiroth’s attention. Could it be that Sephiroth saw the potential in him? Did the SOLDIER want to nominate him to be tested to join SOLDIER? He’d been a good guard, always professional, followed the rules, hadn’t caused a scene. He’d survived when nobody else had, though he was sure that was just good fortune. Sephiroth saw something in him though, something nobody else had. Perhaps it really was his time to achieve his dreams.


	2. Chapter 2

The ground floor of the Shinra headquarters was empty when Cloud arrived, but his standard issue key card opened the door for him and would allow him access to a few floors in the building. He moved to stand by the reception desk, more out of habit than it being the agreed meeting spot, and waited patiently for the SOLDIER to arrive. He saw several staff members coming and going as he stood there but no sign of Sephiroth. Had he been wrong to trust him? Zack had warned him in the train not to trust the SOLDIER, when he thought the driver wasn’t listening, but before he hadn’t heeded Zack’s warning at all. The rivalry between the two men had been evident, from the very brief conversation he had witnessed before. He was just starting to ponder on Zack’s warning when a familiar silver haired man entered the building and gestured for him to join him at the lifts.

Trying not to rush, he approached Sephiroth well aware that the SOLDIER was checking out his more casual appearance. The SOLDIER didn’t look much different than he had done before, though he had changed his clothes they were in much the same style as the ones he had worn before. Of course a SOLDIER didn’t wear a uniform, perhaps Sephiroth always choose to be battle ready?

“You found a bangle for the Materia,” Sephiroth commented, seemingly pleased with the old iron bangle that Cloud had kept since he had first played with magic when he was younger. He’d thought the Materia to be like a game, something that was both fun and adult, but upon accidentally zapping himself he had quickly lost interest in it entirely. “Now you must learn to master it.”

“I will.” Cloud said, meeting Sephiroth’s gaze with a determined one of his own. The silver-haired man smiled at the words, the smile he had worn before that came across just a little bit sinister. That was just the way he naturally smiled, Cloud reminded himself, feeling a little guilty about the way he was judging the other’s expression. Sephiroth had a handsome face, he certainly couldn’t see anything else wrong with it, though he had to admit it was hard not to gaze into those orbs of greens that made Sephiroth’s eyes seem to glow.

Silently they stepped into the lift, Sephiroth pressing a button for one of the higher floors which began their ascent up the building. Not wanting to stare, Cloud kept his gaze on the door wondering if the other was going to share the purpose of their meeting. He got no answer and wasn’t the type to ask for one, so he stepped out of the lift just as ignorant as when he had gotten in.

They were in some sort of café or restaurant area, Cloud noted as he followed Sephiroth through the room. The view up here made even Midgar beautiful and he wanted to stay and look but knew better than to keep a SOLDIER waiting. Zack perhaps would have seen his desire to look, or even invited him to join him by the window without being prompted at all, but he and Sephiroth were very different men. Perhaps that was the reason why Zack had shown his concern in Sephiroth’s behaviour?

They key card in Sephiroth’s hand was put to use once more, and they entered a room with a similar seating layout to the one they had just left. It was smaller in here, but far more luxurious. A few people looked up as they entered, but nobody challenged him on why he was here. It was obvious the SOLDIER’s brought guests in here all the time, for three clearly civilian women were sat around a card table with a small group of SOLDIER’s, flirting and laughing as they played with the men who had brought them there. The small group filled the otherwise quiet room with noise, as the only other patrons were quietly engaged in a fame of darts, or playing billiards without a fuss. On the wall there was a large TV, muted but showing the chocobo races for anyone who wished to watch. As it was, only the bartender stole the occasional glance at the screen with enough interest that anyone could figure out he must have betted on one of the birds.

Sephiroth led Cloud to a low table, with a sofa on either side, and took a seat opposite Cloud without a word. Here they could see the view Cloud had felt he was missing out on before but this time his entire attention was on the man in front of him.

The bar tender approached, asking Cloud for his order without asking his companion anything at all. A couple of minutes later he returned, placing drinks before each man and a bowl of nuts between them.

“I’m pleased to see you like your drinks hard,” Sephiroth remarked, as he picked up his own drink, some kind of bright red cocktail. The drink spoke of danger, though held by anyone else’s hand Cloud was sure he would have found the cocktail quite unremarkable. “To me, that’s the mark of a real man.”

“And what is your drink then?” Cloud found himself asking. He’d always seen cocktails as something women liked to drink, and the men trying to impress them, but in Sephiroth’s hands the red drink took on a far more masculine appearance. Perhaps it was the knowledge that this was a First-Class SOLDIER drinking the drink, that had transformed its qualities as such?

Before Sephiroth could answer, the doors opened once more and a familiar man entered the SOLDIER lounge. The man was not a SOLDIER, or the guest of one, but every man respectfully waited for the new comer to state his purpose for entering with the respect the company president commanded. To Cloud’s horror, President Shinra was approaching the table where he sat with Sephiroth.

“You lost a whole troop today,” The President scolded Sephiroth. “And had to engage a second SOLDIER, and the Turks, to help you finish the mission. Were those from Wutai really such a threat to you, or are slacking?”

“You asked one SOLIDER to protect an entire train and everyone on board. Why did the guards not possess Materia so they could at least be of some use?” Sephiroth retorted, rising to his feet to take advantage of the height he had over the other man. “As it was, it’s my skill that saved this one.”

“You are a force to be acknowledged, with skill few possess, but you lack the sense to take responsibility for those around you is your shortcoming. You failed your team today. This was a defensive mission and you went on the attack.” President Shinra decreed. The whole room was silent, watching the two powerful man’s exchange, surprised even that Sephiroth did not seem concerned by the criticism and that he did not back down.

“The way I see it, the team failed me,” Sephiroth corrected. “And those who did not equip the guards with even the weakest of Materia.”

“As the mission leader, you should have requested it,” President Shinra responded. “I saw no such report.”

“Because the Professor turned it down. If you wish to be angry, perhaps it’s time that Hojo is due for a visit?” Sephiroth said. The President paused for a moment, before quietly agreeing that in fact a visit to the professor was perhaps necessary.

“Is it true?” Cloud asked, after the President had left and the card players were filling the room with noise once more. “Your request was turned down?”

“You don’t know much about the workings of the company, it’s understandable,” Sephiroth said. “But it’s common that our requests are turned down. They don’t want to spend more on the military, though they’re happy enough to invest their fortune in toys and experiments.”

“You don’t approve.” Cloud stated.

“No, and I fear that the President will punish me with more than mild embarrassment for standing up to him,” Sephiroth said, pondering the thought for a moment. “Well I didn’t bring you up here to discuss such things. Let me order you another drink.”

“I have enough of this one left for now.” Cloud protested, but his companion was approaching the bar and his protest went unheard.

He clung to Sephiroth’s arm for support as they walked down the quiet street, the world spinning out of focus if he didn’t concentrate on staying alert. He couldn’t remember how much he had drunk, only that drinks had been brought to him whenever his glass approached being empty. He hadn’t paid for any of them, though he wasn’t sure if that was because Sephiroth would be billed at a later date of if it was an employee perk all SOLDIER’s were given.

“Perhaps you should pretend to be so grown up,” Sephiroth teased as they walked. “You can’t walk straight at all. What would you do without such a strong, capable, man to hold you?”

“I believe I wouldn’t be so drunk, without your influence.” Cloud answered, making his companion laugh. It was a pleasant sound, that filled the night with merriment as they found their way to one of the more luxurious housing estates on the plate. Sephiroth led him up the driveway of one of the houses, a stretch of tarmac devoid of any signs of a vehicle, and unlocked the door.

“Come in, you’re too drunk to do anything else.” Sephiroth ordered. Cloud had to admit to himself that he honestly couldn’t get home alone tonight. At least he didn’t think he could. Perhaps if he tried he might, but why do that when he had Sephiroth right here by his side? 

He followed the older man into his home, that was tastefully decorated in a minimalist style. The emptiness of the room seemed to accentuate the objects within, though Cloud found it impossible to focus his attention on anything. His mind was drifting from one thought to the next and he found himself smiling at nothing at all.

He was led past the living room, to a flight of stairs that lead up to what Cloud assumed were the bedrooms. With significant help from the handrail, he followed Sephiroth upstairs and into the master bedroom. He paused in the doorway, confused as to why he had been brough here, and the SOLDIER took the opportunity to steal a kiss. Startled Cloud remained frozen, unsure of what to do when being kissed so intently. They were both men and yet he had always known, at very least since he was much younger, that this was an option for himself. He wasn’t like the other boys, this desire to be kissed by another man was exactly why he had been teased. If he hadn’t admitted it… nothing would have changed. He would still have ended up exactly where he was now, just a little more confused. He wrapped his arms around Sephiroth, needing the support now even more than he had done before, and began to kiss the other man back. His fingers found themselves wrapping around smooth hair, so soft in comparison to the solidness of the man he held himself against.

“How did you know?” Cloud had to ask. He hid this side of himself well, at least he had thought he had.

“How could I not?” Sephiroth asked. “Cloud, you are as easy to read as an open book.”

“Most people say otherwise.” Cloud protested, his intoxicated mind trying to figure out just how much Sephiroth could possibly have seen in him in the short time since they had met. As he waited for a response, that did not come, Sephiroth slipped off the long coat that he wore and placed his sword gently to one side. When he turned to face Cloud once more, there was a smile, or perhaps a smirk, as he approached.

“This city is full of pretty boys and yet it’s been a long time since I found one with hair as fair as yours,” Sephiroth commented. “At least not one that would follow me home. Sampling you will be a rare treat, I would think.”

“I’m not that special.” Cloud protested but it didn’t stop Sephiroth kissing him once more. This was wrong, he thought as the world around him slipped out of focus for a moment. Not because Sephiroth was a man, or that he didn’t find himself attracted, or even how quickly things were moving. There was something about Sephiroth that had made him uneasy. Zack’s words ran through his memory, a reminder that the man before him should not be trusted, but as the top he had worn was pulled over his head by a set of experienced hands, he wondered is perhaps it was Zack who he should not trust.

He fell to his knees, staring up at Sephiroth as he realised that the SOLDIER had been the reason for his legs to give way. A giddiness took over him but thanks to Zack, the giddiness made him ponder if he had been drugged. He concluded that he had not, for Sephiroth had never had the opportunity to do so. This detachment from reality was his own doing, he had drunk far too much.

He stared up at Sephiroth, wondering if he even had the strength to bring himself back up. It’d been a long work day, which alone was enough to make him wary without the alcohol and the late hour of the night. Remaining frozen, for it was the simplest thing to do, he watched as the silver haired man removed the intentionally fashionable Kevlar vest he had worn beneath the coat. Was this what a SOLDIER looked like? An Adonis of manly perfection that made his conflicted emotions evolve into pure desire and need. His trousers were growing tight now, as he stared up the perfectly muscular chest to take in that face that had been enticing enough on its own.

“You want this, that pleases me.” Sephiroth commented, as he freed his own hard length from where it had been confined. Cloud swallowed nervously in anticipation, wanting to know what it was like to taste a man. He accepted the cock against his lips, taking in the tip without a fuss as he realised just how long the other had grown. Sephiroth didn’t lack girth, but the length made his manhood seem thinner than it actually was. Like his sword, Cloud realised with surprise. The large blade appeared slim, though it was no different in width than the standard katana.

A hand wrapped around the back of his head, pushing him forward, his lips slipping down the flesh that was being offered to him. He glanced up at Sephiroth in surprise, not expecting the other to have been so forceful, but Sephiroth wasn’t even looking at him. His face had contorted in pleasure, very much the expression worn by a man who liked to be in control. As the man before him began to thrust into his mouth, with little concern for the man before him, Cloud found himself clinging to the other’s thighs in an attempt to at least get Sephiroth to slow down. He was close to chocking when the length left his lips but it returned just as forcibly only a couple of seconds later. This wasn’t like what he had ever fantasied being with a man to be but it wasn’t like he had a chance to object. Whenever the other left his mouth, all he could do was gasp for breath. Tears fell down his cheeks, though he wasn’t sure if this was genuine sorrow or just his body reacting to the harsh treatment it was been given.

“Too much?” Sephiroth teased, as Cloud finally pushed at the other’s legs in an attempt to make him stop. He nodded desperately, gasping for breath and struggling to recover his senses. The alcohol wasn’t helping, it made him feel sluggish and weak and far too slow on the update. Sephiroth probably hadn’t even realised he was struggling, he had stopped now, hadn’t he?

He was led to the bed, where his trousers were roughly pulled down and thrown out of the way. Had he taken of his shoes when he entered? He thought he had, but the past was a blur. He lay facedown on the bed, accepting the fingers slick with lube as they entered him. It felt so good to be filled like this that he soon forgot his previous objections. He’d never been with a man, but he had desired such things and now he found that his idea of what this would be like wasn’t entirely correct. There was no pain and far more pleasure than he had ever hoped for. He bit back the moans growing inside him, not entirely successfully, and soon welcomed the intrusion of the other man’s hard length burying so very deep inside. Desire swelled inside him, an unexplored aspect of his sexuality no longer entirely unknown to him. He hadn’t entirely enjoyed Sephiroth in his mouth but this, this he loved.

Cloud woke up besides an unfamiliar man, in an unfamiliar bed, and it took his tired mind a short while to realise what had happened the night before. He hadn’t remembered much, but the memory of pleasure came flooding back, making him blush bright red as he realised what he had done.

Thankfully Sephiroth was still asleep, as he lay beside Cloud on the bed. He was resting on his side, facing Cloud, and giving him a full view of his naked form. He was even more beautiful in the sunlight that now filled the room, showcasing his toned body and… No, he wouldn’t look there. Who knew what would happen to his body if he tried to look at Sephiroth in his entirety. Focusing on the other’s resting features, he found himself remembering the first time that they had met. He had been dying, everyone he knew on that train already dead, or at least close enough. Sorrow washed over him once more, reminding him why he had so eagerly drunk so much the night before. Frederick would never try to use his father to gain himself privileges, he’d never Flash’s real name and Captain Ross was his captain no more. Why had he been the one that Sephiroth had chosen to heal? The man in question stirred in the bed, his green eyes opening as he took in the sight of the man who had been watching him.

“You didn’t run?” Sephiroth asked, seemingly both surprised and pleased at this revelation.

“Should I have?” Cloud asked. Right now, he was unsure if this hangover was going to allow him to even move but he knew he had to at least try. Hiding his discomfort, he sat up and made an attempt to get off the bed. A strong hand wrapped around his wrist, preventing this mediocre attempt of escape in its tracks.

“You don’t need to leave,” Sephiroth reassured him, just as his phone began to ring. He glanced at the screen and frowned. “Or perhaps you do. It doesn’t look like I’m getting today off work after all.”

Giving him some privacy, Cloud headed into the bathroom and did his best to clean himself up. He looked a mess and there wasn’t much he could do to restyle his hair, but he could at least wash himself and rub some toothpaste against his teeth with his finger. It’d do, at least for now.

He found his clothes in the bedroom, still lying on the floor where they had been removed, and dressed quickly before heading downstairs and giving Sephiroth a nod and a smile before slipping out of the front door. It was only when he was halfway home that he realised that he hadn’t given his phone number to the other but he wasn’t entirely sure that the other had even wanted it. He very much felt like he had been Sephiroth’s plaything the night before. A means to forget the events of that day perhaps, or a release for the sake of pleasure and nothing more. It wasn’t exactly how he had wanted his first experience with a man to be, if he was to have one at all, but at least he didn’t entirely regret it.

His own home offered to him a solace that he very much needed, and he fell miserably onto the sofa. His head ached, made worse by his efforts to get home, his pride had been damaged by giving himself so easily to be clearly used and worse of all was the sorrow that filled him. He was grieving, he concluded as memories of the men in that train carriage flashed through his mind. They weren’t his friends, but he had liked them on the most part.

“I should have had Materia!” He snapped angrily into the empty room. The healing Materia, now worn on the bangle around his wrist, could have changed everything. Shinra had denied Sephiroth’s request but if he hadn’t been so foolish, he could have bought his own.

Grabbing a knife, he angrily cut into his arm and then used the Materia he had been gifted to instantly heal the wound. It was weak under his power, he lacked entirely in magic as he hadn’t thought that he needed to learn.

He cut his arm again, focusing on healing the wound as he pushed past the pain of his hangover and the grief that threatened to consume him. He would master this Materia, no matter how many hours it would take. It was just a shame that Materia couldn’t cure a hangover, it seemed sickness was beyond its grasp, even a sickness that you brought upon yourself.


	3. Chapter 3

He didn’t see or hear from Sephiroth for a couple of weeks. It was long enough to convince him that he had truly been used that night, something that he had come to accept as a stupid mistake in his past. He’d been drunk, unable to truly understand what had been happening perhaps, but he had had fun. That alone was enough to convince him that he didn’t regret his decision to go home with Sephiroth that night.

The next time that they met again, was just an ordinary mission given to him by his new captain. He had been requested, with a few others, to join a SOLIDER to remove some kind of drake from the slums of District Two. He’d be keeping the civilians out of the area, Cloud figured, for no SOLDIER needed his help in a fight. He’d hoped the mission leader might be Zack, for he seemed to truly be a good-hearted guy, but to his surprise it was Sephiroth who appeared before the small group of men waiting for him. The green eyes flew over the guards, pausing when he located Cloud just long enough for a twitch of a smile before Sephiroth gave his orders.

Had Sephiroth been the one to request him? It seemed likely and the more Cloud pondered the question, the more convinced he had become that this must be the case. President Shinra hadn’t been happy with Sephiroth, perhaps the SOLDIER had to re-earn his privilege to lead others? It was true that Sephiroth no longer seemed to have a unit of his own. He had chosen the men here personally, but then what did it mean that he had chosen him?

They reached the slums, that smelt worse than others he’d had the displeasure of visiting, and Sephiroth ordered guards on either side of the old warehouse complex grounds. Cloud wasn’t chosen, so he and three others followed Sephiroth inside to search for the drake. There were several abandoned warehouses here, in various states of disrepair, but no drake could be seen.

“You don’t think the drake has already left?” A guard, who Cloud did not know, asked. He seemed the nervous sort, easy to spook and perhaps not really suited for this line of work.

“Unlikely,” Sephiroth responded, still searching for a sign of the creature, when the guards from the South entrance came on the radio to report a small riot was starting at the gates. It seemed the civilians wanted access to search for missing children. “Go join them at the gates. Not you Strife, you can escort the children should they be found.”

The guards hurried away, all but Cloud who obediently followed Sephiroth through the warehouse in search of the drake. He debated what he should say to Sephiroth. He’d been chosen to remain behind deliberately, but he didn’t know if he should bring up the night they had spent together.

“Were you avoiding me, Mr Strife?” Sephiroth asked. “It seems you and the drake may have something in common in that regard.”

“I didn’t know that you wanted to see me again.” Cloud responded.

“I see, is this is why they refer to those with your colouring as dumb?” Sephiroth asked. Before Cloud could figure out if Sephiroth truly was calling him a dumb blonde, the drake made itself known from above and the SOLDIER jumped into action. Cloud paused only for a moment, as he took in the rather frightening appearance of the beast before them. The drake could perhaps be mistaken for a pterodactyl from a distance, but up close the creature’s resemblance to the extinct animal was easily forgotten. It’s mouth, tapered into a solid point on the top jaw, resembling a beak of a bird of prey, though no bird Cloud knew off had so many sharp teeth. Its wings resembled the leaves of a maple tree, or perhaps the wings of a bat, though the deep blue of the bones within them, and the ocean blue of the skin stretched over those bones, set it apart from most animals. Except perhaps a dragon, Cloud thought, there was something draconic about this creature, though a dragon of course would not screech so pitifully when cut by a blade. Remembering the reports of the children, Cloud turned his attention from the fight Sephiroth was clearly winning and began his search.

“Is anyone here?” Cloud called towards a pile of crates in the corner. It seemed likely, should a child be inside the warehouse, that would be where they would be. There was no response from the crates, but he went to look anyway, soon finding a couple of teenagers inside.

“Please Sir, we were only trying to help.” A dark-haired boy pleaded. Did they think they were in trouble? Well they were trespassing, Cloud supposed, and he was in a Shinra uniform. Day by day, those who worked for Shinra were becoming more separated from those who did not. It was starting to draw the lines of social class within the city and he wasn’t entirely convinced that he liked where the lines were being drawn.

“Shinra has this under control, you’re free to leave.” Cloud ordered and the two teenagers bolted, their crude weapons still in hand as they fled. They had the courage to face a drake, at least at first, but not a man? It seemed absurd, until he turned and found that one man had just eliminated the drake with barely any effort on his part. Now this was a man he would understand why people might fear. Was this the strength of a SOLDIER? The power given to a man bathed in Mako? Even compared to the stories he had heard, Sephiroth seemed to be in a league of his own.

“Impressed?” Sephiroth said, as if the very idea was amusing.

“Not even scratched and I was hoping to show you how well I’ve gotten with the Materia you gave me.” Cloud responded.

“I’ll just have to take your word on that,” Sephiroth said. “You found the children I see?”

“Yes, two teenagers. I don’t think there’s anybody else here.” Cloud said. Sephiroth nodded and then, surprising the blond with his forwardness, reached over to help Cloud out of the helmet that he wore.

“It seems we have some time before we need to go back, considering how quickly that drake fell to my sword.” Sephiroth said. Cloud was about to ask what Sephiroth had in mind, but the lips meeting his own answered the question before it was verbalised. Despite his better intentions, he clung to Sephiroth and even allowed himself to be pushed down onto his knees, just like he had done once before.

“Here?” Cloud protested but Sephiroth seemed determined that here would be the right place to do so. The hard arousal pushed against his lips and he allowed it entry, staring up at Sephiroth with wide eyes. How long had the other been hard? From before the drake had attacked or after? Had Sephiroth planned for them to end up alone like this?

“I’ll request you on any mission that I can.” Sephiroth promised and Cloud believed him. Without protest, he swallowed the flesh being offered him and once again began to choke as Sephiroth grew rough with him. He needed to get better at this, Cloud criticised himself as he struggled to breath around the flesh in his mouth, if he was to keep such a magnificent man in his life.

When he felt he was about to pass out, cum filled his mouth and he was able to collect himself once more. He felt his helmet been placed on his head and heard Sephiroth begin to walk away. Was that it? A rough blow-job, for the other’s benefit, and their time together was already over? His own cock ached to be touched, his soul ached for affection, but he got neither. Swallowing the cum, and climbing back to his feet, he hurried to catch up to Sephiroth.

“Don’t worry Cloud, my dear,” Sephiroth said, perhaps picking up on the hurt that Cloud was feeling. “We will continue this later. If you desire?”

“I do.” Cloud readily agreed, relieved that he wasn’t entirely being cast aside. Perhaps Sephiroth was worried about getting caught, or didn’t want his reputation ruined by allegedly facing a drake for more than a few minutes? Sephiroth was hard to read and his actions didn’t always seem to make sense but Cloud knew that in time he would begin to understand the SOLDIER better. He would be the perfect guard, and the perfect partner, for a SOLDIER like Sephiroth deserved nothing less.

It was the talk of all of Midgar and Cloud didn’t even bother to wait to be called before he began preparing for the work that was sure to come. He was just locking his front door when he received the summons and responded that he would be there within the hour before heading towards the train station to get a train to the edge of the city. The people of Wutai had managed to invade their continent, setting up base in a small coastal town to the South East, that much Cloud was sure was fact. Everything else seemed to be rumours, or speculation, and he did his best to ignore it as he passed through the streets he now knew well.

“I heard that Leviathan came to them!” An excited child was telling her friends, the children gasping in shock at the very idea that the legendary beast might have shown itself. Those who were not quite gods, though not quite of this world either, did sometimes appear to help in a fight but Cloud had never seen one. It did make sense that Leviathan might appear to aid Wutai, they practically worshipped him.

“They have captives,” An old woman explained to a younger woman, perhaps her daughter, who looked disturbed by the ideas. “I do hope Sheila is all right.”

“I haven’t heard from her…” The younger woman worried. Cloud passed the pair, another rumour that could just possibly be true. He heard many others as he reached the station, the rumours getting more and more elaborate as time passed by. On the train he even overheard two Shinra employees talk about how Leviathan himself was the one holding the town hostage, as if the divine being would bother with such things.

The chatter was starting to unnerve him, so he was relieved to disembark the train and approached Heidegger, who seemed to be the one giving orders to the Shinra military forces who approached him. Cloud was sure he would be asked to meet up with Sephiroth’s unit somewhere, over the last few months almost every mission he had been on was with the man he now considered to be his lover, so wasn’t at all surprised when such orders were given.

“Sephiroth has asked for you, again,” Heidegger said, trying to imply something that was no secret. Anyone nosy enough would already know exactly why it was that Cloud that was always called for by the Soldier. “He’s already heading for the Condor region; you are to meet him there. There is a coach to take you, over there.”

“Yes, Sir.” Cloud said, giving the man a salute as he hurried toward the coach. He noticed that Heidegger was only giving orders to some employees, leaving two women in business suits to handle the rest. Perhaps those selected by a SOLDIER, Cloud pondered. Sure enough Pierre, a man often chosen by Sephiroth, was also being address by Heidegger. Cloud waited a moment, finding Pierre to be a gentle hearted man who loved animals, as he knew he had to share a seat with somebody and he would prefer it was someone like him.

“Cloud, you got roped into this too?” Pierre asked. It was his standard greeting, what he told Cloud every time that they met.

“Looks like it.” Cloud said. It was enough of an answer to keep Pierre happy, another personality trait he found endearing in the other man. “I think everybody is this time.”

“More or less,” Pierre agreed. The boarded the coach, stuffing the small bags they carried into the overhead luggage rack and settling down for the long ride. Pierre took the window seat, believing Cloud was doing him a favour when the reality was that he found the travel sickness he sometimes felt rarely bothered him when he was closer to the centre of a vehicle. “I heard all available SOLDIER’s had been dispatched.”

“All of them?” Cloud repeated, pulling of the helmet as many others had done before him. He caught sight of a woman several seats over, surprised that there was one among their ranks. Already a few men seemed to be trying to flirt with her but she was more than capable of holding her own it seemed. “Sounds unlikely. Wutai may have just captured the town to draw our forces southwards, as they attack Midgar from the North. Surely those above will be smart enough to see the possibility.”

“Perhaps,” Pierre said, fiddling with a bangle around his wrist. That was new, Cloud thought as he took note of the green and blue Materia set into the metal. “You noticed the bangle? I’m immune to fire spells now.” He was grinning like an excited school kid to share this news. Pierre had been scared of fire from the day Cloud had met him, though Cloud had never asked why, he had witnessed the panic attack Pierre had had on the last mission when Sephiroth cleared out their foes with a strong fire spell.

“Does it help with the fear?” Cloud asked, keeping his voice low as many men here would mock Pierre for not hiding this. That was a trait he hated most in his gender, the desire to tease each other as if they were enemies, whilst calling each other friend.

“I don’t think I’ll panic, not this time,” Pierre said. “At least Sephiroth still asked for me. I was worried that perhaps he wouldn’t.”

“Sephiroth keeps those he trusts close, I wouldn’t worry.” Cloud reassured him.

“You maybe,” Pierre said. “Not to be blunt, but there is a reason why he finds you irreplaceable and not the rest of us. Did he ever mention me to you?”

“Stop worrying,” Cloud told the other. “Sephiroth wants you around.”

“Well he did call for me!” Pierre concluded, the smile returning as quickly as it had been lost. He shared with Cloud some of his attempts to conquer his fears as the coach set off and began its journey southwards, but soon he found nothing else to say to one another and settled into a comfortable silence.

There was no need to ask for directions once they reached their destination, for a smiling Claude was waiting for them to arrive. He was another of Sephiroth’s men, and so Pierre and Cloud headed in his direction with no fuss.

“They set up tents for guys like us,” Claude explained, gesturing towards a field full of military grade tents. “Of course, the chosen few get rooms in the hotel over there. I bet you won’t even need to sleep in your sleeping bag. Lucky bastard.”

“Honestly I’d rather camp than…” Pierre began, before glancing sheepishly in Cloud’s direction. “Sorry.”

“No offence taken,” Cloud reassured the other. He was dating a man, he accepted it and now those around him would need to do so to. “Where I sleep is no concern, what I’m worried about is her.”

“A woman!” Claude exclaimed, loud enough that the woman in question turned to give them a dirty look before carrying on her way. “A hot one at that. Not that you’d know, Cloud.”

“What makes you think I don’t appreciate women?” Cloud challenged Claude, who laughed at Cloud’s obvious displeasure.

“The cock that goes into your ass whenever you get some time alone with our boss, that’s what!” Claude replied, laughing more as Pierre gave Cloud an apologetic look. At least he wasn’t laughing.

“That has nothing to do with the female gender, now does it?” Cloud challenged.

“Exactly! Don’t be greedy, you can’t have it both ways.” Claude responded. Cloud supposed he should be relieved that Claude wasn’t homophobic like many of the men he knew, but he didn’t like that the other saw him as just a gay man. He still liked women, that was one thing even his time with Sephiroth would not change.

“Do you find her attractive?” Pierre asked, as they headed towards the tents.

“Not my type,” Cloud answered, knowing that the words would only encourage Claude but too honest to answer with anything else. “Are we reporting to the front lines?”

“No,” Claude said. “The regular guys have created a line of defence, a few low ranked SOLDIER’s are with them but men like Sephiroth, which means men like us, are being held back for now. They want us well rested; I’d assume.”

“Meaning we’re going to end up on some crazy, half thought out, mission again,” Pierre answered. “Well at least this time I’m ready if it ends in flames.”

“The Materia!” Claude said, finally taking notice of the bangle on Pierre’s arms. “You really think that will help? You were quite a chicken around the flames last time.”

“Not this time!” Pierre retorted. “I mean, he won’t go for flames again anyway, but if he does… I’m ready!”

“That’s my man!” Claude said, giving Pierre a supportive nod. He might like to tease, but at least he wasn’t malicious in his words. Cloud didn’t think he’d be able to tolerate Claude if he was.

Cloud hadn’t even been able to get to the tent, before he was given orders to wait in the hotel lobby. With bag in hand, for he too believed he’d end up sleeping in Sephiroth’s room, he headed to the destination only to find the SOLDIER’s were in the conference room to discuss strategy. No, not all the SOLDIER’s, for many were waiting here with him. He spotted Zack, the woman from the coach by his side, and headed over to the familiar man.

“Cloud!” Zack greeted him, taking Cloud’s hand and shaking it firmly. They’d only met twice, but Zack had never been anything but kind. “Not a SOLDIER yet?”

“I’ve not been nominated.” Cloud responded, making Zack frown.

“Sephiroth hasn’t put your name forward?” Zack asked. “Well I’m sure he will, given time. I’d do it myself even, but we, Second Class men, can’t step out of line, now can we?”

“They’ve only let First Class SOLDIER’s in there?” Cloud guessed. He tried to ignore Zack’s offer to nominate him, not wanting to get excited by the idea. Zack would never nominate him, nobody would, not when they all believed that it was Sephiroth’s decision to make. Zack had meant to be kind, but his offer felt rather cruel. Why did Sephiroth never even discuss the idea with him? What did he need to do to be ready?

“Rufus Shinra’s idea, he’s leading the meeting,” Zack explained. The vice-president had come here personally? That was a surprise, how serious was this attack? “Oh I’m sorry, I’ve been rude. This is Julia. She’s one of the best.”

“You have to be, being a woman in a world of men,” Julia confirmed. “Bunch of pigs… well most of them. Some are different, I suppose.”

“I better be one of those different ones!” Zack responded. “Julia, this is Cloud. He’s with Sephiroth’s unit. And before you ask, no, Julia isn’t my girlfriend. Though I bet she wishes she were.”

“He’s a pig.” Julia stage whispered to Cloud, though it was obvious she didn’t mean it. They were still laughing when the meeting adjourned and a set of familiar green eyes landed on Cloud. Sephiroth was less than pleased to see who he spending his time with, but the crowded room made it hard for him to approach.

“Cloud, do you really want to go with him?” Zack asked, his voice so quiet that it would be impossible for anyone but the blond beside him to hear. “I’ve seen what he’s done to you. The life in you has been fading since he made him yours. Are you happy?”

“Sephiroth is my superior…” Cloud began to protest, realising that he had said the wrong thing. “And my lover. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumours.”

“I’ve heard them,” Zack said. “I don’t believe them. If he was your lover, the light in you wouldn’t be going out. Do you truly love him? I won’t let you go to him, if the answer isn’t yes.”

“He’s my lover.” Cloud repeated, growing annoyed with Zack’s insistence to keep him and Sephiroth apart. He stepped away from the other man, heading towards the man with whom he belonged.

“Was he bothering you?” Sephiroth asked, his voice as cold as ice as he turned his gaze onto Zack.

“He was introducing me to Julia,” Cloud reassured Sephiroth. “I was curious to how a woman had made it onto the battle field. She seems tough though. I’m not worried for her.”

“Let’s go upstairs.” Sephiroth said, the warmth was still lacking from his voice and Cloud began to wonder how bad this rivalry between the two SOLDIER’s had become.

Once within the hotel room, Sephiroth approached Cloud and pulled him close. The kiss they shared was rough, without the affection that Cloud usually felt there. With Zack’s words echoing in his mind, he wondered if he was truly happy with the older man.

“Sephiroth,” Cloud said, as he moved his mouth away from the kiss. “How come you never nominated me to be tested to become a SOLDIER?”

“So that’s what he was talking to you about?” Sephiroth asked, wearing a smile that carried a hint of malice. It was just his features, Cloud reminded himself, though that smile still made him uneasy. “I bet he promised you that if you left me, he would make your dreams come true. Did he not?”

“Not quite in those words.” Cloud confessed. “But yes, he did say that he would nominate me.”

“When I believe you to be ready, I will do as you desire.” Sephiroth said. It was already more than Cloud had ever gotten out of him on the subject, so he didn’t want to push the matter further.

“Could you at least tell me where I am lacking?” Cloud asked.

“No, because you will not tell me the same,” Sephiroth answered. “I saw the way you were looking at him. You find Zack appealing, you want him, I saw it with my own eyes. Tell me, do you think of Zack as a handsome man?”

“I do,” Cloud admitted. “But for you to be jealous, I’d say you thought of him as handsome too.”

“He makes you smile, you don’t smile for me. Not like that.” Sephiroth accused.

“I smile for you.” Cloud protested, but something dark had settled over the SOLDIER and his words weren’t getting through. Sephiroth’s arms snaked around him, pulling him close but far from comforting, he felt like he was being bound.

“You are my everything, he will not have you. You are mine,” Sephiroth reminded Cloud, his kiss fierce and without affection. “Do not go near him.”

“It’s going to be difficult, we work together and…” Cloud began, his words ending in a gasp as Sephiroth’s fist connected with his stomach.

“You are not to go near him. You are mine.” Sephiroth said, his tone nothing but threatening. “I must remind you of this?”

“There’s no need to be jealous!” Cloud protested, once again the wrong thing to say. Sephiroth wanted him to grovel and beg for forgiveness but he had done nothing wrong. He liked Zack but he had never considered the other anything but a casual acquaintance, not even quite a friend.

“You are mine.” Sephiroth repeated, pulling Cloud to the bed where the blond was pushed roughly into the sheets. He felt his trousers being pulled down and tried to protest but Sephiroth was simply too strong to stop. He was pushed over onto his stomach, pinned in place without a care for his wellbeing.

“What are you doing?” Cloud exclaimed, but he already knew. He’s been in this position so many times before, but this was the first time he hadn’t allowed it to happen. The first time that the other pushed inside him with no preparation and just lube. He screamed in agony, the large manhood burying deeper inside him than any man should go. He began to shout at Sephiroth to get off him, screamed for help but it seemed the walls must be soundproof, as nobody came and Sephiroth did not listen.

Pain turned to pleasure and he clung to the bedding beneath him, gasping with every forward thrust as his own body betrayed him. He shouldn’t enjoy this, shouldn’t want to be used in this way. He moaned out of habit. All fight gone from him as Sephiroth laid claim onto what he believed to be his.

He was being raped. The knowledge should have been shocking but it was not. How many times had he been too drunk to consent? How many times had he let his mouth been used with no returned pleasure of his own? Had Sephiroth ever helped him cum? He liked to watch him masturbate, sometimes he would even touch, but when had he ever truly wanted Cloud’s pleasure for Cloud’s sake alone? From the first time he had gone home with Sephiroth, his body had been used like this. How was this time any different? Except this was the first time he had actually tried to say no.

Sephiroth came with a final grunt of pleasure and pulled out of Cloud without a fuss. The blond lay trembling on the bed as he heard the sounds of Sephiroth rearranging his clothes. He didn’t want to move, the pain was too great. Something wet was leaking from where Sephiroth had been, cum perhaps, or maybe a little blood? There felt too much to be just Sephiroth’s seed alone.

“The wicked men of Wutai are keeping hostages, I have been asked to find where they are located,” Sephiroth said, as if nothing had happened just now. He wasn’t angry anymore, the darkness that had its hold on him seemed to be gone. “But we can have dinner downstairs later, the menu is on the desk, if you want to have a look. Or perhaps there’s somewhere we can go to eat?”

“Are you serious?” Cloud demanded. “After what you just did, you think that I’ll just happily have dinner with you?”

“You will have dinner with me,” Sephiroth answered. “And you will be happy, or I won’t be. You understand now, what happens when I am displeased? Let that pain inside you be a reminder of my wrath. Though a man as clever as you, won’t feel it again.”

“You’re a monster!” Cloud exclaimed, half expecting reputation for his words. Instead there was only a moment of silence before Sephiroth left, locking the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

He didn’t know how long he had lain there, covered in Sephiroth’s seed as if he was just a common whore. Had Zack known Sephiroth could be so cruel? Was that why he had been warned to be careful, that very first day that they met?

He tried to get off the bed, knowing he must wash, but the pain washed over him and he realised that he wouldn’t be able to stand. It wasn’t just his ass, but his lower gut that was in pain and recalling Sephiroth’s length and how deep he had gone, Cloud was hardly surprised that so much damage had been caused.

Did Zack’s cock have the length and girth of his sword, Cloud idly thought, surprising himself that he had pictured such a thing and that he didn’t feel guilt for doing so. Sephiroth had called him clever, but he didn’t think he was. He’d been a fool, infatuated by the beautiful SOLDIER who he had convinced himself that he loved. Their relationship was nothing but a trick of the mind but it was a beautiful trick. Maybe he could go back to playing pretend?

How to move? He realised he still wore his own bangle, the healing Materia right there on his wrist. Willing his magic to work, he healed himself and much to his relief found himself to be almost as good as new. He was still tender, could feel where he had been in pain, but no discomfort remained.

Slowly, his body remembering the pain that was no longer present, he got off the bed and made his way to the bathroom to shower. As the water washed over him, removing the evidence of what had happened, he felt no relief. This relationship was a lie, had always been a lie, and was so blatantly obvious that Zack had been concerned to even let him leave with Sephiroth. If only he had listened.

Stepping out of the shower, he found the blade he travelled with and ran it down his arm, careful not to touch the scar from when he had once gone too deep. The blood flowed but moments later the glowing green Materia healed the wound once more. This was how he has mastered the Materia in hand but the act had become a habit that was close to impossible to break. It distracted him from the pain he was feeling but this was the first time he consciously knew why he was doing this. The blade in his hand froze in place for a moment, as he silently debated if he should cut his arm again. The blade fell, slicing into skin as it had done hundreds of time before. The pain was sharp and familiar and most importantly, under his control. He knew he was damaged but right now, alone in the bathroom cutting himself, he was quite happy to be that way.

Sephiroth had returned a few hours later, as if nothing had even happened, he greeted Cloud with a smile that the blond returned out of habit. This was his chance to make amends, he thought as his partner explained that they would be going downstairs for dinner in the hotel bar that night. When he was like this, it was hard to remember his fear and easy to recall the good times. He was hardly acting when he happily agreed to join Sephiroth at his table and followed him downstairs to the busy dining room.

“Wait at the bar until they call our table,” Sephiroth ordered, as he went over to greet Rufus Shinra as if they were good friends. Perhaps they were, Cloud didn’t know much about the vice president, who had very little influence in his life. He could run right now, Cloud thought, forget this life but why would he? If he kept Sephiroth happy, things could be as they were. Right?

“Can I take your drink orders while you wait?” The bar tender asked. Placing his order, Cloud paid for the two drinks, even though they were more expensive than what he would ordinarily pay. He needed to show that he loved Sephiroth, that had been his mistake. Why Sephiroth had grown so jealous of Zack.

As if thinking of the man could summon him to Cloud’s side, the SOLDIER entered the room and approached Cloud with a dazzling smile. Cloud’s chest tightened as the brief pleasure of seeing the man, turned to fear. Sure enough, a pair of dangerous green eyes was already watching this encounter as Zack took a seat beside Cloud.

“Two drinks? You getting drunk quickly tonight?” Zack joked.

“No, one’s for him,” Cloud answered. He had said too much already, Sephiroth wasn’t going to be pleased. “I can’t talk to you. I’m sorry.”

“Cloud? What’s wrong?” Zack asked, but Cloud ignored him and took the drinks that he had paid for and left the bar. Was Sephiroth mad? No, it seemed he’d left quickly enough, though perhaps Zack was displeased with the way he had behaved. He didn’t dare look back, though he wasn’t entirely sure where he should go. Sephiroth was talking to Rufus and their table was yet to be called.

Salvation came in the form of Claude, who had no issue with Cloud joining him at a small table he shared with a girl he must have found somewhere. This was perfectly normal for Claude, so Cloud only asked her for her name and accepted that right now she was with Claude.

“You wouldn’t think this was a war zone, would you?” Claude commented as he sipped at his own drink. He was showing off for the girl, for Cloud knew that like him Claude would have winced at the bar prices.

“Well we’re at a standstill,” Cloud reminded him. “Don’t they have hostages?”

“Yeah, and Leviathan did come to help them before,” Claude concluded. “To blindly attack may just be suicide, so unless they attack us, I think we’re just a breathing blockade.”

“We’re going to be here for awhile then.” Cloud realised. Claude confirmed his evaluation of the situation and quickly changed the subject to the antics some of the men in their tent had gotten up to. Cloud hadn’t even seen the tent in question and doubted he ever would. With Zack around, Sephiroth wouldn’t want him to wander too far out of sight. It was almost romantic, in a way, how much the SOLDIER cared for him. He’d just gotten angry before, Cloud reinforced the idea into his memories, if he hadn’t flirted with Zack then nothing bad would have happened to him. It was his own fault. He could be good.

Sure enough, when the table was called and he went to sit with his lover, everything was just like it had been before. He’d been right to brush off Zack’s advances, because surely that was why Zack had tried to talk to him at the bar.

He was glad he was wearing his helmet, as it helped hide his shock at what Sephiroth was telling them. He’d allowed himself to fall back into the delusion that the other was a good man, but the way he smiled when he talked of burning out the building where the hostages were being kept, so that Shinra could blame the people of Wutai and launch an attack, was horrific.

“Does it have to be fire?” Pierre complained. “Really?”

“You’re immune, remember.” Claude teased him. The other’s laughed but Cloud couldn’t. Not one man here seemed concerned by the plan, was that why Sephiroth had chosen them all? Were these men just as corrupted as Sephiroth clearly was. They must be, because they were too busy laughing and joking to even raise questions about the plan. He glanced at Pierre, wondering if the other was concerned, but other than the complaints about fire he didn’t seem ready to protest any further.

“We wait for nightfall, don’t speak a word of this to anyone else.” Sephiroth concluded their hushed meeting and just like that, the plan was in place and it looked like nobody was going to stop it. How could they, when this was Rufus’ idea.

Another SOLIDER might be able to have sway, Cloud thought, his mind on Zack. He knew the other would hate this, would kick up a fuss and was charming enough to have other SOLDIER’s join their voices with his. If he could warn Zack… but would he even listen? Zack had quickly realised Cloud was avoiding him and had grown equally cold. It had kept Sephiroth happy but Cloud had felt guilty about treating the other this way. Zack didn’t deserve this treatment but to save himself, it was what he had to do.

“Let’s wait in the hotel.” Sephiroth declared, an order disguised as a suggestion. Obediently Cloud followed him inside, wondering if this was an intentional measure to keep him away from everyone else. Perhaps Sephiroth saw that he wasn’t like the other’s they travelled with. He’d been chosen for different reasons, everyone knew it.

The Materia in Sephiroth’s sword Masamune glittered as they stepped into the lift, the orbs almost alive. It caught Cloud’s eye and he found he couldn’t look away from the orb of fire in the weapon. That orb would kill innocent people that night. He couldn’t make excuses for not trying to stop this. He couldn’t stand idly by but watched as he was, slipping out of the room was going to be impossible.

Sure enough, the door was locked when they entered the hotel room and key placed to one side. No way of escape, no means of communication, no way to distract Sephiroth long enough. Especially as Sephiroth was reaching to remove his helmet, soon he would have to act like nothing was wrong at all. With false eagerness, he kissed Sephiroth passionately the moment the helmet was gone. It disguised his expression, kept Sephiroth happy, gave him time to think. The plan came quickly, surprising Cloud at its simplicity.

“You must be getting stressed with all these meetings, let me give you a massage.” Cloud suggested, perfectly hiding all intentions behind this flirtatious desire to please. He slipped a hand beneath Sephiroth’s shirt, feeling the toned abs that were easy to admire. Desire stirred inside him, making this so easy. Kissing Sephiroth, who didn’t even realise this was anything but open lust, he helped the other undress. He needed to get everything, he reminded himself, needed to make sure that this would work. Even the tie that held up Sephiroth’s hair fell to the floor and he lay Sephiroth face down on the bed, straddling his legs as his hands gave the other the promised massage.

This must be it, whatever charm that Sephiroth wore to protect himself from magic was gone. Now he needed to send him to sleep. The sword with the Materia in question was rested close to the bed but to reach it in this position would be difficult. He slipped off the bed, standing over Sephiroth as he massaged his shoulders. He’d have one chance, if he’d missed the charm it would all be over.

Slowly he reached for Masamune, his touch on the metal awakening the Materia that rested in the weapon. So many all at once, he’d only ever hold one orb before. Shutting his eyes, he focused, finding the Sleep Materia and releasing the spell. To his delight it worked, the SOLDIER falling instantly into a deep sleep. Perhaps if he woke, he wouldn’t even realise it was magic. He wasn’t going to be around when that happened.

Hurrying quietly to the key, he unlocked the door and slipped out into the hotel. Sephiroth would wake before he got back, Cloud thought, and he would need to face that wrath but it would be worth it for the lives he was trying to save. He ran for the stairs, climbing two more floors before he found where Zack was staying. He rushed down that hall, only to be stopped by a pair of guards blocking the rooms at the end.

“These are SOLDIER’s rooms, what are you doing here?” One guard asked. He seemed to be delighting in keeping Cloud away, it was only then that Cloud recognised him as one of Zack’s loyal men.

“I need to speak to Zack, it’s important.” Cloud explained.

“But you always ignore him, why should I believe you want to speak to him now?” The guard asked.

“Shouldn’t that mouth be around Sephiroth’s cock?” His companion added, in such a tone that it was clear he was disgusted by the idea.

“You don’t understand, I need to speak to him!” Cloud exclaimed. Any moment Sephiroth could awaken and if he didn’t speak to Zack before he was found, everything he had just done would have been for nothing.

“Too bad,” Zack’s guard said. “Because I don’t think he wants to speak to you.”

“You don’t get it!” Cloud said, a rare anger burning inside him. “Let me talk to him!”

“Cloud?” A voice behind him called out, stopping the guard’s response.

“Zack!” Cloud exclaimed, turning to face him. “Sephiroth is going to burn the hostages tonight and…”

“You’re betraying him too?” Zack asked, though he was pleased at this revelation. Surprised Cloud glanced at the guard beside him, recognising the man by his serial number a moment later.

“Pierre? You too?” Cloud asked. The guard nodded, pulling off his helmet and giving Cloud a weak smile.

“I had too,” Pierre admitted. “The thought of all that fire, of people dying… you know I don’t like flames.”

“Did Sephiroth tell you anything that Pierre wouldn’t know?” Zack asked.

“No, he probably knew I wasn’t fully on board with this,” Cloud admitted. “He choose me for my looks, I guess.”

“I need to stop this,” Zack said, “The two of you stay up here. When he realises he was betrayed, things won’t be pretty but I promise you, both of you, I will protect you.”

“From Sephiroth?” Pierre scoffed. “Nobody can. Cloud and I knew we were doomed the moment we went to find you, right Cloud?”

“Well you don’t have to say that out loud.” Cloud complained. Pierre gave a weak apology and they were escorted to a room belonging to a SOLDIER friend of Zack’s, where they could wait in safety for the time being. With a sigh, Cloud sat on the bed and did his best not to think about his fate. If Sephiroth took him back, there would be hell to pay for this betrayal and if he didn’t the fires of hell would be all the brighter. How could Zack protect him from Sephiroth’s wrath? Zack wasn’t even First Class.

The waiting had been the worst, or it had seemed that way until the smell of smoke filled the room. Pierre tensed, his eyes on the window though he wouldn’t go near. He was scared, Cloud thought with some sympathy as he got up to look out of the window himself. There, in the distance, a large pillar of fire rose up from the town the Wutai forces had captured. Someone, possibly Sephiroth, had executed the plan without hesitation.

The flames rose tall and bright, beautiful if they didn’t come with so much devastation. The whole town was going to burn, Cloud thought, even as a giant tidal wave rose from the ocean. In awe he watched as the water washed over the flames, forming together like a giant serpent as they circled the town. The wave let out a roar, a terrifying sound, and its wrath fell upon the men who had gone to face it. Washed away, what remained of the town was wet and sodden, hardly worth fighting over.

“Leviathan.” Pierre said, staring out of the window in wonder. Cloud hadn’t realised that Pierre had come to join him but he found that he was glad that he had. Right now, in this moment, Pierre was the only friend he had.

“It was too late. Zack didn’t stop him.” Cloud said, “We were fools to think that he could.”

“And yet, we had to try.” Pierre reminded him. Nodding Cloud returned his gaze onto the destruction, swearing he would never forget it. This was Sephiroth’s doing, he and Rufus had orchestrated this destruction and he would never forgive them for it.

“Swing it harder!” Zack called out, as Cloud struggled to execute the moves with the huge sword that Zack had leant him. Every muscle seemed to ache from their training, but to become a SOLDIER he couldn’t give up now.

“Your sword weighs more than I do.” Cloud complained, not sure if that was true though it felt like it might be.

“But you can lift your own weight with ease.” Zack reminded him. With sweat pouring off him, Cloud tried harder and connected harshly with the wooden target. It wasn’t an elegant swing, but he had done as was asked. With trembling muscles, he placed the sword down and turned to inform Zack that enough was enough. He’d pass the tests with a smaller blade, but before he could complain he realised that the older man was surprised.

“You didn’t think I could do that?” Cloud asked.

“Not yet, I didn’t,” Zack admitted. “It’s only been a few months of training. Once again, you surprise me.”

“Well I don’t want to let you down, not after everything you’ve done for me.” Cloud said, thinking back on the time he has spent with Sephiroth. They were both SOLDIER’s, but they were so very different. Zack was warmth and kindness, with a genuine desire to train Cloud to become strong enough to fulfil his dreams. With Zack, he was safe and always welcome.

“I didn’t do enough, I should have given you a proper warning of what he was like, I should have realised you weren’t happy sooner. Only you’d been together so long and hid the pain so well,” Zack said, his smile faltering for a moment. “Well what’s done is done, we can’t change that.”

“You’ve done more than enough,” Cloud promised him. He was in love with his trainer, he knew that, but Zack had his woman back in Midgar. Cloud was sure that she was the reason for the other’s easy smile. “Though perhaps when we go back to the city, you could help me find a woman as special as yours.”

“A woman? Not a man?” Zack asked.

“The gender didn’t matter to me, at least not before.” Cloud admitted.

“I see,” Zack said, “But you know, if that was the case back then, I don’t think that has really changed. Your mistake wasn’t in dating a man, it was in dating a bad one.” 

“I want a fresh start,” Cloud said. “With someone who loves me simply and honestly. Like you love your girlfriend.”

“And you will find that kind of love,” Zack promised. “I know you will.”

“I hope so,” Cloud answered. Perhaps he had already found it. A man who loved him, simply, though not as a lover but as a friend. “Can I borrow the Buster Sword a little longer? I want to try swinging it again.”  
“Sure, go ahead, just don’t break it.” Zack said, going to sit down as Cloud forced his tired body to move the weapon. Perhaps in mastering this sword, he’d master himself. The glowing hum of Materia in the sword filled him with strength, and he swung again and again, each swing becoming easier than the last. It was like the blade was destined for him, offering him the same warmth and comfort as being in Zack’s presence. He swung one last time and finally collapsed on the grass. Not quite yet, but one day, he thought as he stared up at the blue sky above him, he would become the man that he was destined to be. The man who could achieve his dream and would make Zack proud.


End file.
